A technician of Pakistan Telecommunication Company (PTCL) repairs a telephone line at a distribution box. – AFP Photo

ISLAMABAD: The telecom sector has suffered Rs1.87 billion losses to its infrastructure and equipment in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, AJK and Gilgit-Baltistan because of the massive floods and official sources said that the damage in Punjab, Sindh and Balochistan could be much more than that.

According to initial estimates of the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecom, most of the losses had been suffered by companies using fibre optic cables, followed by cellular companies whose radio base towers had been damaged.

According to an IT ministry report, Multinet had suffered a loss of Rs600 million and its cables system in Koh Suleman to D.I. Khan had been damaged.

The PTCL suffered a loss of Rs164 million after its installations in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa were damaged.

Another fixed-line telephone service provider, the Special Communications Organisation, has suffered a loss of Rs89.1 million in AJK and of Rs93.2 million in Gilgit and Baltistan.

The companies badly hit by the catastrophe are Telenor, Zong, Warid, Mobilink and Ufone.

The combined losses of the companies are said to be Rs926.6 million.

“The companies which had the higher number of towers in these areas have suffered the most as the equipment and generators at each tower have been severely damaged,” a Pakistan Telecommunication Authority official said.

He, however, said that installations and equipment of the companies were mostly insured and the government was not responsible for their losses.

The official said that the PTA was in close coordination with cellular companies to restore their service in all parts of the country.

“The companies are replacing panels, our teams have hired boats to reach several areas for repair works,” an official of Ufone said, adding that several sites were not operating because of lack of fuel to run generators.

“Lack of fuel for generators in most of the flood-hit areas is the main reason for disruption of our services in these areas,” he said. - by Kalbe Ali

Follow Dawn Business on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook for insights on business, finance and tech from Pakistan and across the world.

Opinion

Editorial

Judiciary’s SOS
Updated 28 Mar, 2024

Judiciary’s SOS

The ball is now in CJP Isa’s court, and he will feel pressure to take action.
Data protection
28 Mar, 2024

Data protection

WHAT do we want? Data protection laws. When do we want them? Immediately. Without delay, if we are to prevent ...
Selling humans
28 Mar, 2024

Selling humans

HUMAN traders feed off economic distress; they peddle promises of a better life to the impoverished who, mired in...
New terror wave
Updated 27 Mar, 2024

New terror wave

The time has come for decisive government action against militancy.
Development costs
27 Mar, 2024

Development costs

A HEFTY escalation of 30pc in the cost of ongoing federal development schemes is one of the many decisions where the...
Aitchison controversy
Updated 27 Mar, 2024

Aitchison controversy

It is hoped that higher authorities realise that politics and nepotism have no place in schools.